NACO Associate and Sustaining Members enable NACO to enhance its continuing education programs for county officials across the state. Visit NACO's complete associate and sustaining membership list here.

Education Foundation Memorial Program

A gift to NACO's Education Foundation ensures that the children of county officials and county employees are eligible to apply for scholarships to continue their education at Nebraska's higher learning institutions. Whatever their passion - history, art, music, science, education, sports - the NACO Education Foundation will provide them an opportunity to fund their education beyond the K-12 level. Memorial gifts to NACO's Education Foundation are tax deductible and will be a lasting legacy in honor of your loved one's commitment to educating the children of Nebraska's county officials and employees. For more information about how to make a memorial gift, please contact Larry Dix / 402-434-5660 ext. 226.

National Association of Counties to Hold 2013 Legislative Conference in Washington

NACo's Legislative Conference is the perfect time to get empowered and engaged! While getting educated about current issues affecting your daily lives you also have incredible opportunity for outreach to the administration and federal agencies. NACo has adjusted the 2013 schedule to incorporate more time to advocate for county government!

On Monday, March 4, attendees will hear from featured speaker Bob Woodward, associate editor of The Washington Post. His most recent book, The Price of Politics (September, 2012), is based on 18 months of reporting and is an intimate, documented examination of how President Obama and the highest profile Republican and Democratic leaders in the United States Congress attempted to restore the American economy.

Smart Justice: Creating Safer Communities is this year's theme for National County Government Month in April. Additional information and a booklet full of ideas to celebrate NCGM is available on the NACo National County Government Month webpage. Counties are encouraged to participate in NCGM byhosting a variety of community outreach events and activities. These include tours of county facilities, distribution of information about county programs and services, sponsoring student essay contests, meeting with business and community leaders, and adoption of resolutions. NACo will again present valuable awards to six counties for their outstanding NCGM activities. For information contact Jim Phillips, jphillipps@naco.org or 202-942-4220.

MIPS Bytes

What To Do With an Old PC

So you just got a new PC and your old PC no longer serves a purpose. You don't want the old PC sitting around taking up space and collecting dust. If you want to throw or give away the old PC, there are a few things that you can do to get that old PC off your hands.

Many older computers can still do basic functions like browsing the internet or checking email. Well, you could sell it but computers drop in price so rapidly that anything you get for it wouldn't be worth the hassle. A better option may be to just give it away to somebody or anybody that could use it. Another option would be to recycle it. Some electronic stores accept old electronic devices and will dispose of them for you.

Whatever you decide you want to do with the old PC, you will we need to destroy any data on the PC so, if someone else uses or finds your hard drive, they can't access your information. If you plan to give the PC to someone, this can be done by formatting and re-installing an operating system on the PC. Drivers and other software will also need to be re-installed. If you need to make sure the data is no longer accessible, there are plenty of free programs that will wipe your data so that it cannot be recovered by anyone.

The other option would be to physically destroy the hard drive. To do this simply remove the hard drive from the computer and smash it or drill several holes through it. The reflective discs inside the hard drive are what the data is stored on so focus on destroying these. A very strong magnet will also do the trick.

Depending on how much effort you want to put into getting rid of your old PC, trying to find a different use for it is always better than trashing it. If you do choose to destroy it, do your research and destroy it in a responsible manner.

Tax Levies and Tax Rates for 2012 Available on Nebraska Department of Revenue's Website

2012 tax rates and tax levies for all 93 Nebraska counties can now be viewed on the Nebraska Department of Revenue, Property Assessment Division's website. Click here to view this information.

JABG Funds Availability

The announcement for the availability of FY 2012 Federal Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) funds have been posted on the Crime Commission website. Click here for application and instructions.

2013 NACO Institute of Excellence

The 2013 NACO Institute of Excellence is open to all elected and appointed county officials. Deadline for registrations is February 15, 2013. To register click here. For additional information, contact the NACO office at (402) 434-5660.

NACO Scholarship Application Due March 1, 2013

Nebraska high school seniors who are the children, stepchildren, or under the legal guardianship of county officials or employees are encouraged to apply for one of twelve $1,000.00 NACO scholarships. Additional information and the downloadable application can be found under the 'Services' tab on the NACO website. The scholarship application deadline is March 1, 2013. To access the application, click here.

Mileage Rates Effective January 1, 2013

Effective January 1, 2013, the State of Nebraska has increased the mileage rate to be used in reimbursing State employees for use of a personal vehicle in conducting State business. To read more, click here.

The NACO 2013 Directory of County Officials is now available. The directory is an annual publication that provides names and addresses for elected and appointed county officials in the state. A directory is available for $17.00 if non-taxable and $18.00 if taxable. To order, click here.

2012 County Board Handbook and Revisions Now Available

The 2012 County Board Handbook and related revisions are available now. The cost for a current handbook, including legislative information from the 2012 session, is $80.00/book plus $17.00 shipping and handling (this amount increased from $15.45 due to USPS postage rate increase in January) per book. The 2012 Supplement to the County Board Handbook is available for $20.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling. The order form is available on the NACO website here. For questions, contact Wendy Kelly by clicking here or call her at (402) 434-5660 ext. 223.

County Government Day PowerPoint Available

The PowerPoint presentation is now available electronically at no charge (sent via e-mail) for use by Counties during their annual County Government Day. The PowerPoint provides a comprehensive look at county government functions in the State of Nebraska and can be customized by each county. CD's are also available for $10.00 each to cover processing, shipping and handling. To request the County Government Day PowerPoint electronically, please e-mail your request to larrydix@nacone.org. The order form is available here.

News from NACo

Ability to Pay, New Factor in Clean Water Act Compliance

EPA has directed its regional offices to consider local financial capacity when developing compliance schedules in order to meet Clean Water Act (CWA) responsibilities. EPA announced a CWA "affordability dialogue" with local governments to its regional offices January 18. To read more, click here.

NACo Recommends Robust Mental Health Care in Fight to Curb Violence

NACo First Vice President Linda Langston joined President Obama during the January 16 White House unveiling of comprehensive proposals to reduce violence in American Communities.

As part of his package of legislative proposals and executive actions, the president included a recommendation from NACo and the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) calling for full parity and integration of behavioral health and medical care. To read more, click here.